With an ever-increasing amount of (meta)genomic data being deposited in sequence databases, (meta)genome mining for natural product biosynthetic pathways occupies a critical role in the discovery of novel pharmaceutical drugs, crop protection agents and biomaterials. The genes that encode these pathways are often organised into biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). In 2015, we defined the Minimum Information about a Biosynthetic Gene cluster (MIBiG): a standardised data format that describes the minimally required information to uniquely characterise a BGC. We simultaneously constructed an accompanying online database of BGCs, which has since been widely used by the community as a reference dataset for BGCs and was expanded to 2021 entries in 2019 (MIBiG 2.0). Here, we describe MIBiG 3.0, a database update comprising large-scale validation and re-annotation of existing entries and 661 new entries. Particular attention was paid to the annotation of compound structures and biological activities, as well as protein domain selectivities. Together, these new features keep the database up-to-date, and will provide new opportunities for the scientific community to use its freely available data, e.g. for the training of new machine learning models to predict sequence-structure-function relationships for diverse natural products. MIBiG 3.0 is accessible online at https://mibig.secondarymetabolites.org/.

Endophytic fungi in symbiotic association with their host plant are well known to improve plant growth and reduce the adverse effects of both biotic and abiotic stresses. Therefore, fungal endophytes are beginning to receive increased attention in an effort to find growth-promoting strains that could be applied to enhance crop yield and quality. In our study, the plant growth-promoting activities of endophytic fungi isolated from various parts of Sophora flavescens (a medicinally important plant in Mongolia and China) have been revealed and investigated. Fungal isolates were identified using molecular taxonomical methods, while their plant growth-promoting abilities were evaluated in plate assays. Altogether, 15 strains were isolated, representing the genera Alternaria, Didymella, Fusarium and Xylogone. Five of the isolates possessed phosphate solubilization activities and twelve secreted siderophores, while all of them were able to produce indoleacetic acid (IAA) in the presence or absence of tryptophan. The endogenous and exogenous accumulation of IAA were also monitored in liquid cultures using the HPLC-MS/MS technique to refine the plate assay results. Furthermore, for the highest IAA producer fungi, the effects of their extracts were also examined in plant bioassays. In these tests, the primary root lengths of the model Arabidopsis thaliana were increased in several cases, while the biomasses were significantly lower than the control IAA treatment. Significant alterations have also been detected in the photosynthetic pigment (chlorophyll-a, -b and carotenoids) content due to the fungal extract treatments, but these changes did not show any specific trends.

Surfactins are lipopeptide-type biosurfactants produced mainly by Bacillus species, consisting of a peptide loop of seven amino acids and a hydrophobic fatty acid chain (C₁₂–C₁₆). These molecules have been proven to exhibit various biological activities; thus, their therapeutic and environmental applications are considered. Within the surfactin lipopeptide family, there is a wide spectrum of different homologues and isomers; to date, more than 30 variants have been described. Since the newest members of these lipopeptides were described recently, there is no information that is available on their characteristic features, e.g., the dependence of their production from different cultivation parameters. This study examined the effects of both the different carbon sources and various metal ions on the surfactin production of a selected B. subtilis strain. Among the applied carbon sources, fructose and xylose had the highest impacts on the ratio of the different variants, regarding both the peptide sequences and the lengths of the fatty acids. Furthermore, the application of metal ions Mn²⁺, Cu²⁺ and Ni²⁺ in the media completely changed the surfactin variant compositions of the fermenting broths leading to the appearance of methyl esterified surfactin forms, and resulted in the appearance of novel surfactin variants with fatty acid chains containing no more than 11 carbon atoms.

Endophyte microorganisms are vital in protecting plants from pathogens and environmental stressors, such as abiotic and biotic stresses. They produce various useful compounds, including phytohormones, siderophores, and bioactive substances that can protect against insects, microbes, and viruses. Climate change is a significant threat to plant communities, but despite numerous studies investigating the impact of climate change on plants, there has been relatively little research on the role of the plant microbiome in helping plants adapt to changing conditions. This is a significant issue because global agriculture will face significant challenges due to worsening drought conditions caused by climate change. However, research has shown that plant microbiomes, particularly fungal endophytes, can help crops cope with drought stress. To understand the role of these endophytes and their diversity in plant symbiosis is essential to anticipate their function in a changing climate, Ургамал эндофит бичил биетэнтэй харилцан үйлчлэх нь түүний уур амьсгалын өөрчлөлтөд дасан зохицох болон стресс тэсвэрлэх чадварт нөлөөлөх нь Хураангуй. Эндофит бичил биетнүүд нь өвчин үүсгэгчдээс болон хүрээлэн буй орчны абиотик, биотик стрессээс ургамлыг хамгаалдаг чухал ач холбогдолтой организмууд юм. Эдгээр бичил биетнүүд нь шавж, бактери болон вирусүүдийн эсрэг хамгаалах фитогормонууд, төмөр, фосфат болон биологийн идэвхт олон төрлийн бодисуудыг нийлэгжүүлдэг. Уур амьсгалын өөрчлөлт нь ургамлын бүлгэмдэлд томоохон аюулыг учруулж байгаа бөгөөд ургамалд үзүүлэх нөлөөллийг судалсан олон судалгаа байгаа хэдий ч ургамлын орчны өөрчлөлтөд дасан зохицоход ургамал доторх бичил биетний гүйцэтгэх үүргийн талаар харьцангуй бага судалгаа хийгдсэн байна. Уур амьсгалын өөрчлөлтөөс үүдэлтэй ган гачгийн нөхцөл байдал улам хүндэрч, дэлхийн хөдөө аж ахуй салбарууд томоохон сорилтуудтай нүүр тулгарах тул энэ нь их чухал асуудал болж байгаа юм. Гэсэн хэдий ч судлаачид ургамал дахь бичил биетнүүд ялангуяа эндофит мөөгөнцрүүд нь үр тарианд гангийн стрессийг даван туулахад тусалдаг болохыг олж мэдсэн. Тиймээс эдгээр эндофит мөөгөнцрүүдийн үүрэг, олон янз байдлыг ойлгож уур амьсгалын өөрчлөлтөд бэлэн байх нь нэн чухал юм.Түлхүүр үгс: Стресс тэсвэрлэх, уур амьсгалын өөрчлөлт, эндофит мөөгөнцөр, ургамал хамгаалах, ган гачиг

Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) is a central auxin regulating plant growth and developmental plasticity, including cell division, elongation, vascular differentiation, and root architecture. Beyond plants, many fungi—including endophytic fungi that reside within plant tissues without visible disease symptoms—can synthesize IAA and thereby modulate plant performance and plant–fungus interactions. However, fungal IAA biosynthesis remains less resolved than bacterial or plant pathways, and mechanistic evidence is uneven across taxa. This review summarizes recent (2020–2025) advances in IAA-producing endophytic fungi, the main proposed biosynthetic routes and intermediates, and methodological considerations for attributing IAA production to the fungal partner. The reported associations of fungal IAA with beneficial interactions are then discussed, including growth promotion, stress tolerance, and interaction-mediated changes in the root system’s architecture, with emphasis on the concentration- and context-dependent nature of plant responses. Overall, fungal IAA is associated with diverse plant–fungus interactions, as discussed in this review.